Literacy Concepts, Vocabulary Tiers, and Language Disorders Review

Knowledge Check 1 Review

  • Phonemes in the word "taught": There are 33 phonemes (individual sounds) in the word "taught": /t/, /ɔː/, /t/. This indicates understanding that phonemes represent distinct sounds rather than letters.
  • Interveners for Literacy: All professionals working with language-based concepts intervene for literacy, not solely reading specialists. Literacy is fundamentally a language-based concept, so intervention is a team effort involving various language-focused professionals.
  • Print Literacy: This concept includes reading on a screen just as one would read printed text. The statement "Print literacy includes reading on a screen just as one would read printed text" is true.
  • Stages of Literacy Development - Encoding Words: A child begins the process of encoding words during the transitional stage of literacy development.
    • Decoding: This refers to the actual reading process, converting print to speech. It's about understanding what you are reading.
    • Encoding: This refers to the spelling process, converting speech to print. It's about applying language knowledge to write.
  • Phonological Awareness Screening Test: This test does not provide standardized practice items and explicit instructions for students. It is not a standardized assessment.

Knowledge Check 2 Review

  • Emergent Literacy Definition: The statement "Emergent literacy refers to the ability to read, spell, write, and comprehend" is false. Emergent literacy represents the very beginning stages of the literacy process, focusing on foundational concepts rather than full proficiency in reading, spelling, writing, and comprehension.
  • Phonemic Awareness Tasks: These tasks are described as more complex than phonological awareness skills. This reflects a hierarchical understanding of phonological skills, with phonemic awareness being a more granular and sophisticated skill.
  • Emergent Literacy Behaviors: Emergent literacy behaviors include all activities except writing letters in their name. Writing letters is typically beyond the initial emergent stage, which primarily focuses on early print concepts.
  • Shared Reading: Shared reading encompasses all activities except silent reading. Silent reading, by its nature, does not involve sharing the reading experience with others.
  • Novel Words in Text: It is true that novel (new) words are more commonly found in written text than in oral language. People generally use known vocabulary in spoken communication, while written text often introduces more diverse and unfamiliar terms.

Vocabulary Tiers (Quiz 3 Review)

Vocabulary words are categorized into three tiers based on their frequency, specificity, and academic utility:

  • Tier 1 Vocabulary: These are basic, common, everyday terms. They are frequently used in conversation and understandable without instruction.
    • Examples: "soda," "solid" (in its most common, everyday sense), "smoke," "hot," "fall."
  • Tier 2 Vocabulary: These are more academic, high-frequency words found across various subjects and texts. They are crucial for academic success and often have multiple meanings or nuances.
    • Examples: "solid" (when considered academically, e.g., states of matter), "erupt" (when used metaphorically or in a less common context like a crowd erupting), "expand," "prediction," "pressure."
  • Tier 3 Vocabulary: These are very specialized words specific to a particular subject or topic. They are low-frequency in general usage but critical for understanding specific disciplines.
    • Examples: "tectonic plates," "magma," "geologist," "lava," "avalanche," "mantle" (in a geological context).

Discussion on Ambiguity in Vocabulary Tiers:
Some words can be challenging to classify due to context or multiple meanings, leading to potential gray areas:

  • "Solid": Can be Tier 1 (e.g., "a solid table") or Tier 2 if the student considers its academic usage (e.g., states of matter: solid, liquid, gas).
  • "Erupt": Can be Tier 1 if interpreted in a common, everyday sense (e.g., "the crowd erupted with applause") or Tier 2 if specifically tied to scientific contexts like volcanic activity.
  • "Mantle": Primarily Tier 3 in a geological context. However, it can also refer to a Tier 1 concept (a cloak, or the structural part above a fireplace, spelled mantel). Due to Merriam-Webster dictionary noting some interchangeability between mantle (cloak or covering) and mantel (fireplace shelf) and the less common usage of mantle as a cloak, credit was given for different interpretations to avoid undue complexity during assessment.

Shift in Terminology: From Specific Language Impairment (SLI) to Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)

Historically, children with language difficulties were often diagnosed with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). However, there has been a significant shift in terminology and classification.

  • Specific Language Impairment (SLI):
    • Definition: A historical term for a child experiencing difficulty with language not caused by neurological, sensory, intellectual, or emotional deficits.
    • Eligibility Criteria: Very specific and restrictive. A child had to meet two main criteria:
      • A nonverbal IQ greater than 8585.
      • A significant discrepancy between their verbal performance and their nonverbal scores.
  • Developmental Language Disorder (DLD):
    • New Terminology: This term has replaced SLI and is recognized in current classifications.
    • Definition: A neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs spoken language, is long-standing, and is not associated with a known medical condition. The focus is on the primary and persistent nature of the language difficulty.
    • Reason for the Shift: The primary reason for moving from SLI to DLD was to be more encompassing. The restrictive nonverbal IQ criteria of SLI (greater than 8585) meant that many children with genuine language disorders but nonverbal IQs below this threshold were not eligible for services, effectively